House Budget chair outlines committee substitute totals, amendment deadline and schedule

Chair Dayton opened the House Budget Committee's work on the House committee substitutes, saying the committee is continuing from the prior day and highlighting timing and the current operating total.

"Representative, so for the operating, it's 50,351,000,000.000 is the number," Chair Dayton said, noting that the figure reflects the governor's recommendation for House Bill 20 and that the chair's substitutes for other bills could change that total.

Dayton told members they should expect most bills to be delivered by the end of the day and all by the next day, and reminded members that the amendment deadline is Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. He said analytic staff and the budget director would provide numbers and follow up with members who request details.

The chair and staff described the committee's intentions for the coming markup: members should re-submit amendment requests after substitutes are released because line items can shift, and staff will reconfirm whether lines remain available for amendment. Chris Dunn, the committee's chief staff, was identified as a primary contact for follow-up.

Dayton also advised members on outreach and scheduling while the committee completes markups: members may email requests and staff will coordinate follow-up conversations if more explanation is needed. He emphasized confidentiality of analyst work and that staff will not discuss member amendment strategy without explicit permission.

The committee will start markups Monday and expects to run an earlier start time than session; the chair indicated he will be available to discuss and asked members to bring substantive questions forward in writing where possible.

Ending: The committee adjourned after confirming logistical details and the timetable for receiving bills and filing amendments. No formal votes were recorded during this portion of the meeting.